Ethical Guidelines for the Use of the ELP Test

Submitted by the TESL Canada Testing Committee and accepted by the TESL Board, May 2008

Background

The increasing number of individuals with mother tongues other than English entering Canada as students or immigrants has resulted in a corresponding increase of language proficiency test[1] use for decision-making purposes. The results of these tests are frequently used to either grant or deny access to institutions of higher learning, professions, or the country itself. Considering the impact that such decisions have on individual test takers’ lives, it is crucial to carefully examine and guide the ethical use of language proficiency tests.

Purpose of Guidelines

The TESL Canada Testing Committee has prepared a set of ethical guidelines for the use of language proficiency tests to support principled conduct of language test users. These guidelines are intended to establish a Canada-wide standard for the use of language proficiency tests and to assist language test users in reflecting upon the responsibilities, obligations, and values fundamental to their profession.

Who is a Language Test User?

These guidelines are directed at language test users who will be defined as anyone who is involved in the testing process including research, development, marketing, preparation, administration, and decision making. This therefore refers to individuals such as: test developer, ESL practitioner, language program administrator, admissions officer, policy maker, etc.

1. Responsibilities of a Language Test User

1 a) Language test users develop knowledge of the testing tool they use or intend to use. This includes:

Critically examining the information provided by the test developer

Critically examining independent evaluations and review articles on the test

Reference / Sources:

American Educational Research Association (AERA), American Psychological Association (APA), & National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) Standards for educational and psychological testing

Principles for fair testing practices for education in Canada

[1] A language proficiency test will be defined as a high-stakes test that seeks to determine the language competence of a test taker in order to predict language performance in a specific, real-life context.

[2] Language test developers emphasize that test results alone should not be used to make admissions decisions. In 1997 the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) called upon Canadian universities to refrain from using the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as a standard for university admission.

[3] Definition of validity set out in the AREA/NCME Standards document: “Validity is the most important consideration in test evaluation. The concept refers to the appropriateness, meaningfulness, and usefulness of the specific inferences made from the test scores. Test validation is the process of accumulating evidence to support such inferences” (p.9).

[4] Language knowledge or skill that is the target of the test; the language setting to which test performance will be generalized.